The Last Beat
by AnnieAnnProps
Summary: "Together", Because family never leaves family behind. One-shot of a bit of Lucio's story with Murcat, expansion on my "At the Seams" universe. Warning, feels.


So just expanding on the "At the Seams" universe, some tragedy for our lad Lucio. Sorry.

* * *

"You are worried."

Lucio looks up from his trembling hands, stuffing them into his pockets and mustering up a smile. If it were anyone else asking, he would've played it off with a joke, saying he was just thinking about what they'd have have for lunch when I got back. But one look at Murcat and his smile shrinks just a bit, reserved, somber but safe.

"Yeah, just a bit."

Murcat tugs at Lucio's glove, coaxing his hand out before hooking his pinky into his. The transport is silent, everyone's mind occupied with the short briefing the Nguyen had just given them. It wasn't much, general layout of the plan, how many hostages, the passing of concussion rounds. They both stare at their linked fingers.

"Tell me."

Leaning back, the plastic seat clanks against the power supply strapped to Lucio's back. Sandwiched between the hard surface and himself, Lucio can feel the muted hum vibrating through his chest, echoing against the walls of the hole that worry has left.

"Remember how they would tell us everything in Mexico, every detail so we didn't get blindsided. But this just doesn't feel right, it's like they're hiding something." Lucio keeps his voice low, leaning into Murcat as if they were whispering about something else; an occurrence their squad was completely used to already.

"I noticed that too. It makes me uneasy as well."

"Exactly," He fidgets against Murcat's finger. "I just hope the big shots know what they're doing."

A hand grazes against Lucio's chin, gently grasping and tilting his face to the side. He leans into the touch, allowing himself to slide his eyes shut and just focus on the touch. For a moment, the worries feel a bit lighter, imagining that they're not in the belly of a plane heading towards the unknown. He doesn't crumble, no need for that yet, but he relaxes just enough to let the cracks show and let Murcat patch them with gentle kisses.

It is an unspoken rule that transport planes are neutral zones, a purgatory of sorts that serves as the precipice looming above uncertain death.

" _Havā-tō dāram_ (I have your weather). I have your back, _sheereen_ (my sweet). We will get out of this alive as we have before."

Like always right before a mission with the same exchange of words, Lucio kisses back and imagines a beach house and watching their son climb a tree.

"I have yours too, Ardashir."

* * *

They stay on opposites sides of the squad, a self-imposed precaution for the safety of everyone else.

Murcat marches in the front beside Nguyen as they push forward while Lucio mans the back near the other medics; well protected by squadmates on all sides. Lucio loses himself further into the beat of the music, his mind becoming numb out of habit and necessity.

The smell reminds him of Brazil, the bodies remind him of-

"Brace for impact!"

Everyone drops to the ground, the deep hum of the quickly shield settles above them. The seconds are counted after seeing the shadows and Lucio squeezes his eyes shut.

2

3

4

Dirt explodes into the air, debris pelting violently against the hardlight wall. Like a singular organism, the entire squad flinch and twitch as more explosions rock the ground. Silently, with grit burrowing into his gums, Lucio whispers out a prayer like never before.

They'll make it out, he'll make damned sure that at least his squad survives.

Lucio is the first to peak up after a pause in the mortar fire. Bullets still rain down on the shield. His panic begins to rise as the meter slowly dwindles down. Cover, they need some cover in this war zone.

"Nguyen, the car!" He shouts of the noise, the hulking man following his finger to wear it's pointing.

"Let's go, Chariot." Nguyen glances to his right to a woman with glowing cybernetic eyes like his own.

They share a look of acknowledgement before she steps between him and his shield. He waits for her to link her systems with his, her hands on his arm before his helmet powers down. The shield surges with the diverted power, glowing brighter, humming louder.

"Alright, to the car, move it!" Chariot's voice is a mixture of her own and Nguyen's, calling out with booming authority as they move in tandem and lead the dash to the wreckage.

Even with the energy of Lucio's music drumming through their muscles, they only make it a few meters before there's a sharp cry to his left. He stops mid step, hands desperately trying to pull Tahmid to their feet. The blood makes his fingers slip and his eyes prick.

"C'mon, get up, we're almost there."

Tahmid's eyes are already glazed over, head swinging limply to the side to reveal a bullet hole on the side.

Just last month, Tahmid had burst into their squad hangout after getting off the phone, their smile as wide as the world. Never had he seen them smile so brightly. Their girlfriend had just proposed, albeit over video chat, but nonetheless, everyone was invited to the wedding. Small, in the hills of Switzerland, the color theme was 'sunset'.

Two months, they were almost there.

It's not the first time Lucio has seen death, no, but it doesn't make it any easier.

"Lucio, we have to go." Celtic gingerly pulls at his arm, prying him away from Tahmid's body.

As quick as possible, Lucio works the ring off of their finger and pockets it, promising to give it to their fiance when this is all over.

The death first of many, he knows this.

But it doesn't make it any easier.

* * *

There are bloody handprints of Lucio's shirt and pants where he had wiped as much of it off his hands. Tahmid's blood, his friend's blood, dead because of these bastards. Bitter anger bubbles hot in his chest, he'll do better next time, no more, but he knows it's a lie he tells himself.

"Let me guess, we still gots to save their sorry asses." Bishop adjusts her lance, letting its core rest before they attempt another charge.

"Affirmative. Lucio, prepare for a sound barrier, on his word we charge for the door. Warning. Complex processors shutting off to sustain shield, systems will reboot when the call is given. Nguyen temporarily relinquishes command to Agent Chariot until system reboot." He looks to Lucio and then to Chariot, receiving a nod from both of them.

"Understood sir."

"Initiating system hibernation."

Chariot disconnects from Nguyen's mainframe, his body becoming little more than a battery pack for the shield. There's gunfire on all sides as the enemy begins to fan out and Lucio's squad does their best to stop anyone from flanking their position.

Lucio stays low to the ground, flipping a few switches, feeling the music tone down to store a charge in his pack. A shoulder bumps up against him, Lucio doesn't need to look up from the controls to know who it is.

"Shouldn't you be on the other side of the squad?" Lucio's grin drops at the sight of blood running down Murcat's arm. He scrambles to bring the speaker up, the skin stitching together slower than usual. His mouth is as dry as the sand around them.

"I couldn't stay away."

"And you call me soft." The jokes hide the anxiety, the music in Lucio's earpiece drowns out the gunfire. After a few moments, only dried blood indicates there ever being a wound.

"Thank you."

"I've got your weather." Teasing, a sarcastic translation of his native proverb, but wholehearted and loving.

Murcat scoffs, his mouth twitching up into a Lucio falls silent, Murcat glances down sees Lucio's lips moving with no sound coming out. He waits until they stop before whispering "Amen."

Lucio looks up to him, eyes softening with a small nod.

"You should call Tracer." Murcat crouches down to Lucio's level, reaching back for a clip to replace his empty one.

"Really, at a time like this?"

"Now is a good time as any." They hold each others gaze for a second, Murcat's hand giving Lucio's a squeeze. It sends tingles up his arm, chipping away the shell of numbness encased around Lucio's mind. The warmth of Murcat's eyes comes trickling in through the cracks. "Call her."

And Lucio imagines the three of them in Brazil, laughing and smiling with the rest of his family.

* * *

All he cares about is his squad.

Digger falls, helmet blown off, her left ear missing. Lucio drags her to her feet, knowing the teen can't hear the music but he presses the speaker to her nonetheless. Her smile is stained with blood, she signs "Thank you".

He couldn't care less about the bullet that rips through his side.

Luna comes back, shoving the pair behind her and quite literally punching the incoming grenade back to where it came from. It explodes in the air only a second later, not close enough to kill them but close enough to riddle her shielding body with bits of metal shrapnel. She turns, blood beginning to drip from all the tiny wounds and scowling while ushering to keep moving.

"You're an idiot."

Luna never really worried about her own life.

"Takes one to know one"

He couldn't care less about the bullet that tears through his leg.

"Go!" With the last of his strength, he pushes them forward with his arms and a weakened soundwave. A pang of guilt catching in his throat knowing that the blast from his speaker probably hurt, but it's enough to displace them to the doorway of the building, the rest of his squad pulling them inside.

The enemy wouldn't waste their time shooting at a fallen medic, much less expect him to get back to his feet in a couple of seconds, fit as day.

But there is a figure running back out, bright orange rifle firing without hesitation. It's a beacon to latch onto as his vision swims in and out. Soon, all he can see is Murcat's face and his arms cradling him tight against his chest. Lucio clings onto his dusty jacket, he wants to cough when he takes a deep breath, but beneath the grit and the sting of sweat is the familiar smell of Murcat.

There, alive, family never leaves family behind.

Suddenly the world tilts, they're falling forward and Murcat's mouth is open with a gasp of pain. They slam on the floor of the city hall building, pain searing white hot through Lucio's body and they slide a decent distance on the tile floor. When Lucio looks up, his heart seizes at the smear of blood that Murcat has left behind.

He ignores the pain, ignores the tortured screams of his torn muscles to rush to his side, Lucio's breath refusing to come without the breath of the other. The squad is yelling, someone, 'prepare for engagement', the shield goes up but Lucio is too angry.

If Murcat's dead, if he's dead…

Lucio quickly levels his speaker to the door and waits until he sees the whites of the eyes of the first soldier to come barrelling through before releasing the charge he had the pack hold all this time. The wave rattles the door and blasts the incoming soldiers far enough for the rest of his squad to finish shutting and sealing the doors.

"Good thinking." The speaker drops to his side and flips over to a different beat that urges Murcat's body to hasten its healing process. Relief, at least he is conscious.

With trembling hands, Lucio eases Murcat's head into his lap, checking him over for any other wounds with the help of Ceallach. A metal spike to the back of his knee, through and through, it'll take a while before the shattered bones reset themselves even with help.

But they're inside, they're alive, and they are all wearing tentative smiles on their faces.

"Excellent work, we do not have much time, but we will take a moment to regroup. If you are injured, see one of the medics. We will proceed forward in two minutes."

Digger and Luna come within a meter of the two, close enough to feel the healing beat flow through them. Arrow taps Ceallach on the shoulder, a hand clamped tight over the exposed circuits of his arm. After a quick nod, Ceallach leaves Lucio to tend to Murcat and his own wounds.

"You're crazy, you know that right?" Lucio mutters just loud enough for him to hear.

"Just crazy for you." Murcat has the smuggest grin on his face.

"Man, i walked into that one." With a amused scoff, Lucio finally leans back a bit, letting the finely tuned sound waves do their job.

Mucat slides his hand into Lucio's free one, warm and well calloused, littered with scars and missing the tip of his left ring finger. He remembers the first time they held hands, watching some vid together in the bunk they shared. The first time Bear caught them with their pinkies interlocked during a squad briefing. When Nguyen noticed them a week after, and in his monotonous voice said 'Hold onto it for as long as you can'; words that spread so much warmth and relief into both their chests.

"Hey," Lucio flinches slightly, being brought out of his memories. A hand hooks behind his neck, gently pulling him down and he allows it despite the discomfort in his still healing side. Dirt smudged lips capture his own, the milling squadmates around him fall away. It's grainy, tastes like blood and highly inappropriate conduct in the middle of an active combat zone.

But no one comments, they had just beaten death with their bittersweet memories of Tahmid on their minds. Last moments, some have photos of loved ones in their hands.

Murat holds his face close after they part, their forehead still touching but their eyes closed. A moment of peace, of prayer and belief in themselves.

"We'll get through this."

"Together."

A pause, another kiss.

 _"Together"_

* * *

The room is still, sterile, suffocating.

It's lights out, the room basking in the dim glow of machinery meters and graphs. Lucio wipes the tears from his eyes once more, clinging onto the look of relief and happiness on Lena's face after he had called her. At least she's happy, at least he is alive. Tahmid's ring is already sent off, he has already called Becca to personally break the news.

So many tears, but there will be a funeral for all of them, they will share what they remember.

He fiddles with a scrap of fabric, yellowed with age and wrinkled from always being stuffed in his shoe. Deep apologies to whoever was tasked to fishing it out after the...incident.

Bandages encase the stumps where the rest of his legs would've been.

And Lucio smiles, small and fragile, seeing the little printed tacos on the fabric in his hands. He remembers the hurt on Murcat's face when he found the taco boxers on the bed, thinking Lucio had cheated on him since he had never seen them before and they weren't the size he usually wore. The argument they had, being forced to walk with each other for watchpost duty that night.

The make-up, when they both finally admitted to having feelings for each other, more than they had expected going into it. When they were finally able to sit and laugh about the absurdity of it all and the fact that they had a pair of Gabriel Reyes' boxers.

The start of their relationship, when Ardashir "Murcat" become filed under 'Family' in Lucio's head.

"We'll get through this."

Lucio whispers to himself in his quiet, empty room.


End file.
